The National Aids Control Council (NACC) has raised alarm at the rate by which new infections is spreading among adolescents in Garissa county.
Speaking on the sidelines of an HIV/Aids Workshop on Wednesday to sensitise the residents about their rights to test for the virus, the Regional HIV/Aids Coordinator, Wario Boru attributed the increase in infections to lack of parental guidance and unfettered freedom during school holidays.
Boru said lack of reproductive health knowledge coupled with unprotected sex among the young people has seen the prevalence of the scourge increase in the recent months.
The coordinator said most of the victims are fond of befriending elderly ladies and men who could be infected.
Boru further said the county prevalence estimates of 2018 was 0.8 percent meaning 8 out of 100 people live with the virus although lower than the national figure of 4.8 percent.
“There must be a deliberate move from the stakeholders to sensitize the young people on how to stay safe,” Boru said.
Boru said North Eastern is among the regions with high percentage of stigma in the country at 50 percent due to socio-cultural reasons.
He said people living with HIV will now be able to seek redress when their rights are violated including being tested without their consent and the results shared with a third party.
By Kinyungu Kithendu
